William James Pirrie (1847 - 1924)

Born 31 May 1847 in Quebec City, Canada East

Ancestors

Husband of Margaret Montgomery (Carlisle) Pirrie — married 17 Apr 1879 in Belfast, Ireland

Died 7 Jun 1924 at age 77 in at sea off Cuba

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Biography

William Pirrie is Notable.

William Pirrie was born in Québec.

William Pirrie has Irish ancestors.

Canadian-born William James Pirrie, 1st Viscount Pirrie of Belfast, was an Irish shipbuilder who was in charge of Harland and Wolff when the passenger liner Titanic was built.

He was the son of James Pirrie and Eliza Montgomery. His father, James Alexander Pirrie, the son of Captain William Pirrie, a Belfast ship owner went to Canada in 1844 to enter the trade in shipping timber. He died in 1849 and William, aged two, and his sister and mother came back to live with his grandfather in Ireland. He spent his childhood at Conlig, County Down^{[1] [2]} and attended the Royal Belfast Academical Institution. In 1862 at the age of 15 he left school to begin a gentleman apprenticeship at the Harland & Wolff shipyard along with his classmate Alexander Carlisle. Pirrie excelled; by 1874 he became a partner and in 1895 Chairman of the firm, a position he held until his death. Carlisle became Yard Manager, then General Manager and in 1889 another Belfast Academy alum Thomas Andrews (Pirrie's nephew) joined the firm and eventually became Managing Director and head of the drafting department. All three were involved in the design and construction of the Oceanic II in 1899, the Olympic and its sister ship the Titanic in 1911.^[3]

When asked about whether there were sufficient life rafts on the Titanic prior to it's fateful inaugural voyage, Pirrie replied that the ship was unsinkable and the life rafts were for rescuing others. His words would haunt him the rest of his life. Co-worker and nephew Thomas Andrews^[4] was one of the many who died on the Titanic; Pirrie was also meant to be on that voyage but took ill prior to departure.

On April 17th, 1879 William married Margaret Montgomery, eldest daughter of John Carlisle of the Royal Belfast Academical Institution. The ceremony was held at the bride's father's home in Belfast, Northern Ireland.^{[5] [6]}

The 1901 Ireland Census shows William and Margaret and a complete household staff living on Belmont Road in Victoria, Down, Ireland. ^[7] Unfortunately, they were never blessed with children.

Pirrie was created 1st Baron Pirrie in 1906^[8] and for valuable services to the Government during the war, and 1st Viscount Pirrie in 1921.^[9] In addition to his shipbuilding career, he was involved in politics, becoming Lord Mayor of Belfast in 1896 and a member of Northern Ireland's Senate in 1921.

On June 6th, 1924, William Pirrie died of pneumonia aboard the Ebro following a business trip to South America. His body was returned to Ireland for burial in Belfast. ^{[10] [11] [12]}

Research Notes

William & Margaret made numerous business trips to the United States and South America, often accompanied by other foreign dignitaries. On 3 Nov 1920 they arrived on Ellis Island, New York City, New York on the ship Olympic, from Southampton, England. Another trip was made on 30 Sep 1921 to the same port on the Adriatic from Southampton. They are both listed on the excursion to New York on 13 Jun 1924 from the port of Valparaiso, Chile on the ship Elbro. William's information is crossed through. There is no note of his death. Margaret was accompanied by four persons, a doctor, secretary, a maid and an acquaintance.^[13][14][15]Adams-36348 13:20, 17 March 2023 (UTC)

Sources

1. ↑ Godalming Museum: Lord Pirrie
2. ↑ Wikipedia: William Pirrie: Background
3. ↑ Wikipedia: Royal Belfast Academical Institution, Industry and Empire
4. ↑ Thomas Andrews
   
5. ↑ "Belfast, Northern Ireland, The Belfast Newsletter (Birth, Marriage and Death Notices), 1738-1925"
   Linen Hall Library; Belfast, Northern Ireland; Periodicals & Newspapers, Irish & Reference
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry ca Record 2193 #1270440 (accessed 15 March 2023)
   William James Pirrie marriage to Margaret Montgomery Carlisle on 17 Apr 1879 in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
6. ↑ "Ireland Civil Registration Indexes, 1845-1958"
   citing Belfast, Apr - Jun 1879, vol. 1, p. 430, General Registry, Custom House, Dublin; FHL microfilm 101,253.
   FamilySearch Record: FYQV-XZ5 (accessed 15 March 2023)
   William James Pirrie marriage in Apr - Jun 1879 in Belfast, Ireland.
7. ↑ "Ireland Census, 1901"
   citing Census, Belmont, County Down, Ireland, 0000285834, Public Record Office of Ireland, Belfast.
   FamilySearch Record: QPB2-R498 (accessed 15 March 2023)
   http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/reels/nai000721735/
   William James Pirrie (53), married, Ship Builder and Engineer, head of household in Belmont, County Down, Ireland. Born in Quechee.
8. ↑ London Gazette, 1906
9. ↑ London Gazette, 1921
10. ↑ Burial: "Web: Belfast, Northern Ireland, Burial Indexes, 1869-2011"
    Belfast City Council; Belfast, Northern Ireland; Burial Indexes: https://dof.belfastcity.gov.uk/burialsearch/burialSearch.aspx; URL: https://dof.belfastcity.gov.uk/burialsearch/BurialRecordDetails.aspx?RecordID=6207.4989
    Ancestry ca Record 70881 #35634 (accessed 15 March 2023)
    William James Pirrie burial (died on 7 Jun 1924 at age 77) on 23 Jun 1924 in City Cemetery, Belfast, Northern Ireland.
11. ↑ Encyclopedia Britannica: Biography of William James Pirrie, Vicount of Belfast
12. ↑ Memorial: Find a Grave (has image)
    Find A Grave: Memorial #15665642 (accessed 15 March 2023)
    Memorial page for Viscount William James Pirrie (31 May 1847-6 Jun 1924), citing Belfast City Cemetery, Belfast, County Antrim, Northern Ireland (plot: Section K, Plot 469); Maintained by Paul Fryer (contributor 46825035).
13. ↑ "New York Passenger Arrival Lists (Ellis Island), 1892-1924", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:J668-HP2 : 2 March 2021), William James Pirrie, 1920.
14. ↑ "New York Passenger Arrival Lists (Ellis Island), 1892-1924", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:J6NG-DJM : 2 March 2021), William James Pirrie, 1921
15. ↑ "New York Passenger Arrival Lists (Ellis Island), 1892-1924", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JNHB-1M2 : 2 March 2021), William James Pirrie, 1924.

See also:

• Titanic Memorials
• The Peerage: William James Pirrie
• Dictionary of Irish Biography: Pirrie, William James
• Jefferson, Herbert. Viscount Pirrie of Belfast. Belfast: W. Mullan, 1948.
• L. G. Pine, The New Extinct Peerage 1884-1971: Containing Extinct, Abeyant, Dormant and Suspended Peerages With Genealogies and Arms (London, U.K.: Heraldry Today, 1972), page 218.
• 1881 Census: "England and Wales Census, 1881"
  citing p. 42, Piece/Folio 3621/40, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey; FHL microfilm 101,775,049.
  FamilySearch Record: Q27L-359J (accessed 16 March 2023)
  FindMyPast Image
  W I Pirrie (33), married guest, Ship Builder, in household of W I Pirrie (33) in Liverpool registration district in Lancashire, England. Born in Quebec.
• 1891 Census: "England and Wales Census, 1891"
  citing PRO RG 12, Lancashire county, subdistrict, The National Archives of the UK, Kew, Surrey.
  FamilySearch Record: 79TX-GN2 (accessed 16 March 2023)
  FindMyPast Image
  William J Pirrie (42), married visitor, Ship Builder And Marine Engineer, in household of William J Pirrie (42) in Liverpool registration district in Lancashire, England. Born in Canada.
• 1911 Census: "England and Wales Census, 1911"
  citing PRO RG 14, The National Archives of the UK, Kew, Surrey.
  FamilySearch Record: XWLQ-6MV (accessed 16 March 2023)
  FindMyPast Image
  William James Pirrie (63), married, Peer of the Realm, head of household in St George Hanover Square in St George registration district in London, England. Born in Quebec Canada.
• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/15665642/william-james-pirrie: accessed 16 March 2023), memorial page for Viscount William James Pirrie (31 May 1847–6 Jun 1924), Find a Grave Memorial ID 15665642, citing Belfast City Cemetery, Belfast, County Antrim, Northern Ireland; Maintained by Paul Fryer (contributor 46825035).